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NewsDay

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AFM saga deepens

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The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) saga in Marondera has deepened after the provincial leaders, who recently tried to transfer an assembly junior pastor to the rural areas before being chased away by congregants, have established another assembly just a short distance from the existing church.

The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) saga in Marondera has deepened after the provincial leaders, who recently tried to transfer an assembly junior pastor to the rural areas before being chased away by congregants, have established another assembly just a short distance from the existing church.

Jairos Saunyama

The leadership wrangle, which rocked AFM a few months ago, also spilled to the grassroots structures when congregants at The Word Centre Assembly in Dombotombo, Marondera, turned riotous during a service before blocking the transfer of the church’s resident pastor, Byron Maforo.

The church’s provincial board members Tom Mungwariri and one Chirenga, who wanted to transfer Maforo to lead a rural church in the Svosve area, had to flee for their dear lives as the angry congregants threatened to beat them up.

However, on Sunday, NewsDay observed that the provincial leadership established another assembly, less than a kilometre from the Maforo-led assembly.

The new church, which is conducting its services in a tent near Hwata Flats in Dombotombo, is being led by Enerst Muswere who was tipped to substitute Maforo.

Muswere used to lead an assembly in Dendenyore, Wedza, before he was transferred to Marondera.

The new church also carries the name Word Centre, thereby creating confusion among congregants who are currently in darkness as to which is the real AFM church.

Admire Munonyara, the secretary from the Maforo-led Word Centre Assembly, confirmed the establishment of the new church and blasted the provincial leadership of violating the church’s constitution.

“We told our leaders that we don’t want any change yet at our assembly. We wrote to the province and to the national. They have it on their desks,” Munonyara said.

AFM provincial leader Stanley Nyamande on Monday told this paper that his church did not recognise Maforo and his assembly.

Early this year, a fierce leadership wrangle erupted within the AFM in Zimbabwe’s top leadership in Harare, raising fears the pentecostal church could be heading for a split after some pastors and elders dragged their administrators to court challenging the way they conducted the church’s presidential and overseers’ elections.

According to court documents, some pastors, deacons and overseers from the church’s 20 provinces approached the court seeking nullification of Reverend Aspher Madziyire’s election as president.